President Muhammadu Buhari has arrived back to Nigeria on Friday at about 7.40a.m., 51 days after he left the country on a medical vacation.
President Buhari arrived Nigeria on the jet in the early hours of friday, March 10
According to Thisday, as a result of the closure of the Abuja airport his plane was scheduled to land at the Kaduna airport in the wee hours of Friday, following which he was to be flown by helicopter to the President Villa, Abuja
The sources also revealed that the president might address the nation Friday after his long absence, in order to quell any concerns over his capacity to govern.
The news of his return Friday was broken last night in a statement by his media aide, Mr. Femi Adesina.
Confirming the incident, Kaduna state governor, El Rufai wrote on his Facebook page:
"WELCOME BACK PMB: The President is back. He has landed safely in Kaduna and received by Acting Governor Barnabas Yusuf Bala and senior KDSG officials. The government and people of Kaduna state are proud to receive our First Citizen back to his home to face the task of rebuilding Nigeria. Alhamdulillah. Jumaat Mubarak to everyone," he said.
Recall that the special adviser to the president on media and publicity, Femi Adesina disclosed in a statement on Thursday March 9 that the president will return on Friday March 10.
Buhari left the country on January 19, 2017, for a vacation, during which he received medical treatment for an undisclosed ailment for over 50 days.
The vacation was supposed to last for 10 days but was extended indefinitely when the president sent a letter to the National Assembly asking for more time to attend to medical issues as suggested by his doctors.
The uncertainty surrounding the president's health had fueled rumours of his death in sections of the media.
Watch video of the president's return.